Drama at the Home & Garden Center

She resisted the urge to give in to the daydreams that pulled at her during this time of year at the Home and Garden Center. She had been here doing the same thing day in and day out for only a few months but she knew this was not her future. It was just a stepping stone, that was her mantra. She needed to believe that.

This was the busy season. She really needed to be on top of her game for the next few weeks. It was all about pleasing the customer. Putting on her sunniest face she waited for the crowds of amateur gardeners and professional landscapers to come through the doors.

It wasn’t long before boredom overwhelmed her and she found herself submitting to the daydream siren’s call. The warm sun streamed through the picture windows of the garden center showroom. The soft swoosh of the automatic door sent sweet puffs of Spring scented air in her direction. The combination was irresistible and her thoughts naturally went to fields of wildflowers. The smells, sounds, and zephyrs left her in a near stupor.

“Hey baby! What’s up?”

His voice jolted her back to reality. “What are you doing here?!?”, she hissed at him, “I told you I never wanted to see you again!”

“Awww you don’t mean that, c’mon give me some sugar!” He swooped in attempting to nibble on her.

“I can’t take your running around anymore! I know what you’re up to all day, trying to get sugar from every pretty little thing you see!” She tried in vain to dodge his affectionate pecks. “Please just leave. You’re going to scare off the customers!”

She watched him swagger away, noticing the way he hovered around some colorfully outfitted budding blooms on his way out. His sudden appearance and then just as abrupt departure once again left her feeling wilted.

Sadly she thought, “He’s right. I can’t live without him. He is the way he is, that’s just his nature. Besides, he and I make the sweetest things together.”

“Oh Honey, come over here and look at this Shasta! It will look great by the front porch!” A middle aged customer approached her.

“I think you’re right dear. Why don’t you take that one to the register and I’ll go pick up some fertilizer.” Her husband brushed past as he made his way to the back of the store.

As the customer reached down and picked up her pot she realized that she would finally be free from this store! Finally to be part of a garden of her own!

She briefly saw her own “Honey” as she was exiting the Home and Garden Center. He didn’t even know that she was leaving. He was too busy zigzagging from one bright bloom to another, kissing and nibbling all of their faces.

Tami, I loved the wistfulness in the character’s thoughts. It kept my interest! And the reveal at the end, that was nice, too. My favorite line: “She really needed to be on top of her game for the next few weeks.” Thanks! 🙂

Oh I’m glad it was just enough. I also don’t like it when the writer over explains or over describes everything. I like to see some of the images in my mind’s eye and I totally respect that the author is trying to convey what they see in their imagination. But when things are described down to the teeny tiniest detail I feel like the author doesn’t trust that I can fill in the blanks. Or maybe it’s that the author doesn’t trust themselves in their ability to describe something.